Anxiety in individuals is often triggered by associations that the person has with an object or activity. This response is often well-founded and has been developed during human evolution as a way of creating alertness in human beings for potential threats. A high level of alertness in the presence of real threats ultimately leads to an improved chance of survival.
It is, however, often the case that an individual has an anxiety association which may not be justified, i.e. there is only a perceived threat rather than an actual threat. This is often referred to as an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorder (AD) is a general term covering several forms of abnormal and pathological reactions to fear. AD and the subdivisions thereof were only recognized by psychiatry at the very end of the 19th century but are actually relatively common, with some reports estimating that as many as 18% of Americans may be affected by one or more ADs. Treatment options include pharmaceutical therapy and psychotherapy.
Looking at a physiological level then situations that are not perceived as threatening result in a balance of the sympathetic, i.e. fight or flight, and parasympathetic, i.e. “rest and digest”, branches of the human autonomic nervous system. In the case of anxiousness then this balance shifts toward sympathetic dominance.
The inventor of the present invention has appreciated that a system for treating anxiety of a patient without requiring the presence of a therapist is of benefit, and has in consequence devised the present invention.